1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to safety bindings for monoskis adapted to maintain two boots on a monoski.
2. Background Material and Relevant Information
Safety bindings are known, for example, "front abutment" bindings, which are adapted to assure the immobilization of the front portion of a boot on a ski, as well as bindings known as "rear abutment" bindings, more particularly adapted to maintain the rear end of a boot on a ski.
A front abutment generally comprises a support element integral with the ski and an assembly comprising a body and a retention jaw, which assembly can pivot laterally relative to the ski, towards the right or towards the left, against elastic means defining the release threshold value of the binding. The front abutment assures the safety of the skier by responding, by virtue of its lateral release, to excessive torsional forces applied to the leg of the skier. An example of one such front abutment is described in French patent application No. 2 536 666.
Rear abutments, or heel members, generally comprise a jaw journalled on a body around a transverse axis to pivot between a retention position of the rear of the boot on the ski and a liberation position of the boot. The jaw is biased into the retention position of the boot by elastic means. One such rear abutment is described, for example, in French Patent Application No. 2 494 591, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto. The rear abutments are generally disposed so as to slide for longitudinal adjustment and to be biased by springs to elastically maintain the abutment against the boot in the longitudinal direction.
Binding apparatus for monoskis generally comprise two assemblies of independent safety bindings, each comprising a front abutment and a rear abutment for the maintenance of a ski boot. Each of the binding pairs releases under the action of forces exerted by the boot inserted therein.
However, after the lateral or vertical release of a binding pair, the user's other foot remains attached to the monoski by the other binding pair. The forces applied to the leg still left attached to the monoski may become even greater, particularly because of the particularly wide shape of the monoski.